Brief case with table plate for writing and reading

ABSTRACT

D R A W I N G A FLAT RECTANGULAR BRIEF CASE OF RIGID FRAME CONSTRUCTION HAVING A RECTANGULAR RECESS IN ONE OF ITS SIDE WALLS, AND HINGEDLY SUPPORTED IN SAID RECESS A TABLE PLATE FOR MOVEMENT FROM A SUBMERGED POSITION WHEREIN ITS OUTER SURFACE IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE RECESSED SIDE WALL TO A NUMBER OF RAISED POSITIONS WHEREIN IT PROJECTS FROM THE RECESS AND ITS OUTER SURFACE SLOPES RELATIVE TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE RECESSED WALL. INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TABLE PLATE AND THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE RECESS ARE STRUTS FOR SUPPORTING THE TABLE PLATE IN A NUMBER OF RAISED POSITIONS. THESE STRUTS MAY BE FOLDED RELATIVE TO THE TABLE PLATE OR THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE RECESS SO THAT THEY WILL NOT OBSTRUCT RETURN OF THE TABLE PLATE TO ITS SUBMERGED POSITION WITHIN THE RECESS.

United States Patent Mitchell BRIEF CASE WITH TABLE PLATE FOR WRITING AND READING Claude W. Mitchell, Suite 205, 2300 California St., San Francisco, Calif. 94102 Filed: Dec. 15, 1971 Appl. No.: 208,272

Inventor:

US. Cl 190/11, 248/455, 248/461 Int. Cl A47b 27/02 Field of Search 190/1, 1 l, 42;

6/1972 Alford 190/11 4/1965 Walker 190/11 Primary ExaminerDonald F. Norton Att0rneyl(urt A. Tauchen 5 7 1 ABSTRACT A flat rectangular brief case of rigid frame construction having a rectangular recess in one of its side walls, and hingedly supported in said recess a table plate for movement from a submerged position wherein its outer surface is substantially flush with the outer surface of the recessed side wall to a number of raised positions wherein it projects from the recess and its outer surface slopes relative to the outer surface of the recessed wall. lnterposed between the underside of the table plate and the bottom surface of the recess are struts for supporting the table plate in a number of raised positions. These struts may be folded relative to the table plate or the bottom surface of the recess so that they will not obstruct return of the table plate to its submerged position within the recess.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIED Nov 20 I975 SHEET 2 EF 2 READING POSITION WR/ TING P08! 77 ON BRIEF CASE WITH TABLE PLATE FOR WRITING AND READING The present invention relates to the portable flat travelling cases of usually rectangular shape and rigid construction which are employed to carry documents and which are frequently called attache cases. These cases comprise usually a body portion in the form of a rectangular tray of limited depth to which is hingedly connected a lid that may also be of tray shape and which is usually of lesser depth than the body portion. The lid may be locked down onto the body portion in closed condition by means of a hasp or latch that is usually provided on the side of the case opposite to the hinge connections. At the same side as the hasp or latch the body portion of the case is generally provided with a suitable handle usually in the form of leather strap for use in carrying the case during transportation.

As pointed out above, cases of the type described are generally employed to carry documents, books and writing utensils and often during travel in planes, trains or buses, the traveller feels the urge to employ his travelling time usefully by reviewing the documents or supplementing them or by reading books, and in doing so he may place the case on his knees and use one of its large sides as the base for writing or as a support for his books. Since the top surface of a case of the type described, when placed upon the travellers knees will usually slope away from his torso, reading of documents or books is strenuous and writing is awkward.

It is an object of my invention to provide a brief case of the type described, which may readily be manipulated to present a base for convenient writing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brief case of the type referred to, that may readily be manipulated to form a book support for easy reading.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a brief case, of the type referred to, that may selectively be manipulated to present a base for convenient writing or a book rest for ease in reading.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a compact brief with the described conveniences, that is easy to carry and which is of simple and inexpensive construction.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawing which illustrates a perferred embodiment thereof and wherein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of an attache case embodying my invention in standingup position.

FIG. 2 is perspective of the attache case in lying down position viewed from the front, i.e. the handle end, with a writing platform raised from its upper side surface;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the attache case of my invention in lying down position, viewed from the rear with the writing or reading platform in raised condition; and

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the attache case of the invention viewed from the near end of FIG. 3.

In accordance with the invention I provide a rectangular recess in one of the two oppositely located wide side walls of a brief case of rigid construction and I arrange within said recess a table plate or platform for movement from a position wherein it is submerged in the recess with its outer surface substantially flush with the surface of the recessed side wall of the case, into raised positions wherein it projects from the recess and its outer surface slopes relative to the outer surface of the recessed side wall; and I provide struts by means of which the table plate or platform may be held rigidly in a number of raised positions. I arrange matters in such a manner that these struts may be folded relative to the platform or the bottom of the recess so that they will not obstruct return movement of the platform into its submerged position.

The attache case illustrated in the drawing comprises a body portion 10 in the form of a tray of rectangular shape and limited depth. I-Iingedly connected to the body portion 10 as shown at 12 (FIG. 3) is a lid or cover 14 which has likewise the shape of a rectangular tray but is usually of lesser depth than the body portion 10 of the case.

Both the trays l0 and 14 are of rigid construction and may be made from planks or sheets or wood, metal or plastic material that may or may not be covered with leather or enveloped in plastic covers for protection and adornment. The top surface of the body portion 10, when the case is in standing-up position i.e. the surface opposite the hinges 12, is provided with suitable handle in the form of a leather strip 16, and suitable latches 18 are provided at either side of the handle 16 to releasably hold the lid 14 in closed condition on the body portion 10. An attache case constructed as illustrated and described presents two wide side surfaces to the outside, only one being visible in the drawings i.e. the surface 20 formed by the lid 14. Provided in one of these surfaces is a rectangular recess 22. In the particular embodiment of the invention that I am about to describe, this recess if formed in the side wall of the attache case constituted by the lid 14. Submerged into the recess is a rectangular plate or platform 24 in such manner that its outer surface is substantially flush with the out surface of the side wall 20 of the case, i.e. the side wall formed by the bottom of the tray 14 which constitutes the lid of the case. Said plate 24 is hingedly connected to the side wall 20 of the case adjacent the edge 26 of the recess 22 as shown at 28, for movement from the defined submerged position to raised positions wherein it projects from the recess and its outer surface slopes relative to the side surface 20 of the case (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4). Hingedly connected to the plate 24 near the free edge thereof are bars 30a, 32, 30b respectively, which may be folded out when the plate is in raised position until their end edges bear against the edge 26 of the recess 22 to serve as struts or stays that hold the plate 24 selectively in a number of different raised positions wherein the outer surface of the plate slopes to different degrees relative to the recessed side surface 20 of the case (FIG. 4). In the particular embodiment of the invention which I am about to describe and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the underside of the plate 24 is provided with a centrally located bar 32 which holds the plate 24 in a relatively steep position (FIGS. 3 and 4) when propped against the edge 26 of recess 22; and at either side of said centrally located bar 32 are two shorter bars 30a and 30b which are of equal length and which hold the plate securely in a more gently sloping position when propped against the edge 26 of recess 22 while the centrally located prop bar 32 is folded backwardly toward the inner surface of plate 24. A releasable latch 34 may be provided to hold the plate 24 in submerged condition within the recess 22 after all of the struts have been folded fully backwards upon the inner surface of said plate.

When a person wishes to write while travelling on a plane, train or bus, he simply places the attache case upon his knees with the recessed side wall up and the handle facing his torso. He then releases the latch 34, lifts the plate 24 from the recess 22 and places the shorter struts 30a and 30b against the remote edge 26 of the recess.

The gently upwardly sloping outer surface of the plate will now act in the same manner as the top surface of a table or desk and make it easy for him to write. On the other hand, if the traveller wishes to read, he lifts the table plate 24 higher and moves the longer prop bar 32 into position against the edge 26 of recess 22. The outer surface of the table slopes now more steeply relative to the outer surface defined by the recessed side wall of the case and constitutes a book support that is ideal for reading books, magazines and papers (FIG. 3). A ledge 36 may be provided on the surface of lid portion 14 of the case along the hinged edge of the platform 24 to act as a stop that prevents books of papers from sliding off the inclined surface of the table plate 24.

When the traveller arrives at his destination or is finished with reading or writing, he merely folds the struts 30a, 32, 30b against the inner surface of the table plate 24 and lowers the plate until it is fully submerged in the recess 22, whereupon he snaps the latch 34 into position. The case is now as convenient to handle and carry as any ordinary attache case.

While I have described my invention with the aid of a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific constructional details shown and described by way of example, which may be departed from without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Thus, the struts may be hinged to the floor of the recess and grooves or fillets may be provided on the underside of the table plate for engagement by the free end edges of the struts. Also, while I have shown means for holding the table plate in two different angular positions relative to the recessed side surface of the case, more than two struts of different length may be provided to hold the table in a variety of differently sloping positions.

I claim:

1. A flat brief case comprising a rectangular frame of rigid construction and having two wide external side surfaces, one of said surfaces having formed therein a recess of rectangular shape, a table plate hinged to an edge area of said recess for folding movement between a submerged position wherein the outer surface of said table plate is substantially flush with said recessed surface and a raised position wherein said table plate pro jects from said recess and its outer surface slopes relative to said recessed surface, and foldable support means interposed between the inner surface of said table plate and said recess for supporting said table plate in raised position.

2. A case according to claim 1 wherein said holding means are struts of different length hinged to the undersurface of said table plate and adapted to engage with their free edges a side edge of said recess for supporting said table plate selectively in different angular positions relative to the recessed side surfaces of said case.

3. A case according to claim 1 including releasable latching means for holding said table plate in submerged position. 

